Garment-supporting device.



No. 719,152. PATENTBD JAN. 27, 1903.

G. o. SLEE'TH. GARMENT SUPPORTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

tlivi'irien rames GEORGE O. SLEET'H, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GARMENT-SUPPORTING DEVICE.

EPEGIFIUATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,152, dated January 27, 1903. Application filed May 8,1902. Serial No. 106,402. (No model.)

To all, whom, may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. SLnETi-I, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporting Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a view of the device as used; Fig. 2, a view of the device for connecting the waist and skirt, said parts being separated; Fig.6, an edge view of the connecting device; Fig. 4: a back view of the device, which is connected to the waist; Fig. 4, a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 5, a plan of the belt with the connecting device arranged thereon and showing the two part buckle, and Fig. 6 a front elevation of the two-part buckle by which the two ends of the belt are connected.

My invention relates to supporting devices for womens apparel, and particularly to means for sustaining the dress-skirt and at the same time holding down the shirt-waist.

One of the objects of my improvement is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for this purpose which shall at the same time hold the garments securely in place and be easily adjusted by the wearer. To this end I provide a supporting belt or band adapted to be secured around the waist of the wearer by means of a two-part buckle device which permits of the simultaneous adjustment of the belt from each of its ends, so that the securing device carried by the belt will be maintained in the middle of the back and the buckle will be centrally at the front of the wearer. This is an important feature, because where the belt is adjusted by pulling only on one end thereof the buckle is apt to be drawn toward one side, and the securing de vice carried by the belt at back of the wearer is also likely to be displaced from its central position. In order that both ends of the belt may be simultaneously adjusted, it is necessary to provide a buckle which will operate with a frictional grip and which is free from teeth or tines or other devices which are adapted to pass through the belt. Upon this belt or band and longitudinally adjustable thereon is a connecting device which is prounder a keeper 7.

vided with means for engaging a device on a Waist and a device on the skirt, thereby conmeeting the waist and the skirt and serving as a support for the skirt.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the belt or band, whose ends are bound by the strips 1*, and slidably mounted thereon about midway its ends is a connecting device or plate 2, Whose upper end is formed into an inward and downward extending hook 3 and whose lower end is formed into an outward and upward extending hook 4. Secured to the waist is a plate 5, which is formed with a horizontal slot, through which is adapted to extend the hook 3. This plate 5 is provided with a pivoted pin 6, whose free end is adapted to engage By means of this pin the plate 5 may be temporarily connected to the waist at the middle of the back. Connected to the skirt on the inner side of the skirt-band is a plate 8, which is formed near its upper edge with a horizontal slot 9, through which is adapted to extend the book 4 of the connecting device 2. This plate 8 is provided with a pivoted pin 10 and a keeper 11, by means of which it may be temporarily but securely fastened to the skirt. Below the pin the plate 10 is formed with a depending extension 12 of considerable length, the object of which is to maintain the plate flat against the skirt when said plate is engaged over the hook 4, and to thereby prevent the accidental disconnection of the plate from the hook at of the connecting device.

WVhile I have shown only one connecting device 2 on the belt and one of each of the devices 5 and 8, it is evident that more than one set of these devices may be employed, if desired, in order that the skirt and waist may be connected at more than one point.

1 provide a two-part buckle by which the simultaneous adjustment of both ends of the belt is accomplished. This buckle consists of two open wire frames 13, across each of which extends a movable bar 14:, which is formed into an eye 14: at each of its ends, said eyes embracing loosely the side bars of the frame, these frames being detachably connected together by means of a rigid hook 15, carried by one of the frames. Each end of the belt is passed outward through one of the frames 13, over the bar 14, and is then turned inward back through the frame and lies upon the main part of the belt on the outer side thereof and under the rear cross-bar and the lifting-piece 16, as shown clearly in Fig. 5. It is obvious from this arrangement that by drawing outward the ends of the belt the belt will be tightened around the wearer and that when the ends of the belt are released the outward strain on the main part of the belt will crowd the movable bars toward the outer end bars of the frames, and thereby prevent the slipping thereof. To release the belt, the outer end bars of the frame are moved outward from the wearer by means of the small rigid extension or lifting-piece 16 secured thereto. It will thus be seen that the connecting device 2 may be placed about in the middle of the band 1 and that after it is connected to the plate 3, secured to the shirt-waist and to the plate 8, connected to the skirt, the belt may be tightened by simultaneously drawing outward both ends of the belt and that the connecting device 2 will not be moved from its position in the middle of the back of the wearer and that the buckle device will be retained centrally at the front of the wearer. The advantage of this is obvious. It avoids the necessity of specially adjusting the connecting device on the band in order that it maybe in the middle of the back and the buckle centrally in front of the wearer when the belt has been tightened to its final position. It also avoids all lateral strain on the connecting device, tending to shift them from their proper position during the tightening of the belt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A garment-supporting device consisting of a belt, a connecting device carried thereby and extending transversely of the same and formed at its upper end with an inward and downward extending hook, and at its lower end with an upward and outward extending hook, a slotted plate adapted to be temporarily connected to a shirt-waist and to be engaged by the upper hook of the connecting device, a slotted plate adapted to be temporarily connected to a skirt and to be engaged by the lower hook of the connecting device this latter plate being provided with a depending extension or tailpiece for the purpose set forth.

2. A garment-supporting device consisting of a belt, a connecting device slidable thereon and extending transversely of the same and formed at its upper end into an inward and downward extending hook, and at its lower end into an upward and outward extending hook, a slotted plate provided with a pin and keeper by which it may be temporarily connected to a shirt-Waist and adapted to be engaged by the upper hook of the connecting device, a slotted plate provided with a pin and keeper by which it may be temporarily connected to a skirt and adapted to be engaged by the lower hook of the connecting device and being provided with a depending extension or tailpiece substantially as described.

A garment-supporting device consisting of a belt, a skirt and waist connecting device mounted thereon and extending transversely thereof, means whereby said connecting device may be detachably connected to a waist and to a skirt, and a two-part buckle device carried by the belt and consisting of two open frames each ofwhich is formed with a rearward-extending lifting-piece and is provided with a bar mounted on the side bars of the frame and adapted to slide toward and from the rear bar thereof,a forward-extending hook secured to the forward bar of one of said frames and adapted to engage the forward bar of the other frame to detachably connect the two frames, each end of the belt being connected to one frame by being passed for- Y ward under the slidable cross-bar then looped through the frame over the cross-bar and then rearward under the rear barand lifting-piece, whereby, when the frames are connected, the rearward strain on the main body of the belt will cause the slidable cross-bar to grip the belt, and whereby a pull on the ends of the belt will cause it to slide through the frames and permit the belt to be tightened without shifting the buckle or the skirt and waist connecting means.

4. A garment-supporting device consisting of a belt, a skirt and waist connecting device mounted thereon and extending transversely thereof, means whereby said connecting device may be detachably connected to awaist and to a skirt, anda two-part buckledevice carried by the belt and consisting of two open frames each of which is provided with a bar mounted on the side bars of the frame and adapted to slide toward and from the rear bar thereof, means to detachably connect the two frames, each end of the belt being connected to one frame by being passed forward under the slidable cross-bar,then looped through the frame over the cross-bar and then rearward under the rear bar, whereby, when the frames are connected, the rearward strain on the main body of the belt will cause the slidable cross-bar to grip the belt, and whereby a pull on the ends of the belt will cause it to slide through the frames and permit the belt to be tightened without shifting the buckle or the skirt and waist connecting means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 5th day of May, 1902.

GEORGE G. SLEETH. 

